Would Earl Weaver have favored instant replay?

It’s fairly obvious that if the new instant replay system had been in place 40 years ago, we would all remember Earl Weaver differently.

No doubt, he still would have been one of the most successful managers in the history of baseball, but the irrascible personality that endeared him to a generation of Orioles fans would certainly have been muted by the ability to simply ask the umpires to look at the video replay, instead of going on a five-minute, dirt-kicking tirade over a questionable call.

Weaver addressed that issue back in 2010, claiming that he would have favored the use of replay if it had been practical and available during his managerial career.

"That would have saved me a lot of embarrassment, very much," he said. "Because each and every time I got thrown out of a ballgame, I had lost my temper and I was embarrassed when I got home."

I'm not sure whether to believe that, but I know that – around here – what made Earl a legend was the combination of his managerial intellect and his pugnacious personality.

I don’t know how exactly he would be remembered if we only got to see half of that.

If you want to read more from me on baseball’s new video challenge system, check out my column on the subject in Sunday's print edition and on the website.